THE PARK OF SUNSET DREAMS

by Ava Miles

  “Hi, Matt,” she said, her sleek brown ponytail accentuating rose-tinted cheekbones that made him think of Jane. Jane had her beat in the cheekbones department.

  And then he realized he was actually comparing women’s cheekbones. Dear God.

  “Hey, Casey,” he greeted in return.

  When he entered Jill’s office, he braced himself against the glare. His cousin had a major Salvador Dali obsession. The wall behind her desk was painted bright turquoise with a streak of red across the middle. The side walls were the same fiery red. Then there was the ceiling. It was a violet purple with a white metal mini-chandelier showcasing ten small cranes.

  “You know,” he said as he crossed to her desk, “I’m always amazed Mac let you decorate your office like this.”

  She jumped out of her seat and rushed over to him with her trademark enthusiasm. Her hug might have cracked a few ribs, but he bit back his groan. Otherwise she’d rib him about being a wimp. It was what cousins did.

  “Mac adores me. He knows I work better in surroundings that suit my creative pallet.”

  “Plus, there’s no way Brian would let you do something like this at your house.”

  Their new home had streaks of bold color throughout and enough brightly colored pillows to arm a hundred people in a pillow fight. But nothing this out there.

  “His vision is limited when it comes to color. We had to do some compromising.” She led him over to a purple leather couch—another monstrosity, especially since it was Italian—and bounced on the cushions. “So, you’d better be here to tell me what I think you’re going to tell me.”

  He hummed. So Uncle Arthur had spilled the beans. “And what’s that?” he asked, just to be contrary.

  She shoved him in the chest back against the cushions. “That you’re going to run for mayor.”

  His conversation with Jane the other night had only strengthened his resolve. The system was broken, and he had to start somewhere if he wanted to fix things. He loved Dare, and it would be a good place to begin. There was no way he could run for an elected office in the big city. Perhaps in time, but he needed to establish a new resume, one that went beyond being a lawyer. Those were a dime a dozen. Dare had a good education system, an expanding health care system, a prized local university, and a thriving community. He could be a part in making the town he loved even stronger.

  “I am. Running, that is.”

  Her squeal pretty much punctured his eardrum, and he would have rubbed it if she hadn’t launched herself at him to deliver another python-style hug.

  “God, you really do remind me of Henry.”

  She punched him in the shoulder. “Better watch it. Aren’t you here to ask for my help?”

  “Yes, especially with the business community. Now, I know you have lots going on—”

  “Are you kidding? You’ll be the first Hale to give it a go. I’m almost put out about that. I plan to run someday too, but this isn’t the right time.” Her face formed a pout before she bounced on the cushions again in excitement, her red curls dancing.

  “Well, I can thank Emmits Merriam for that,” he said. “The man was smart enough to petition the town council to change the residency requirements in the 1940s when he was thinking about running for mayor. Since I lived here before for at least three years consecutively for six months each year, I meet the requirements.”

  “Emmits was always creating a political loophole to help promote his personal interests. Oh, I wish I could have met him. Grandpa’s stories about him are legendary.”

  “So, a friend of mine who’s a political consultant in Denver is coming down to help out here and there, but his suggestion was that I get the list of every organization that’s registered with the Chamber of Commerce. Our plan is to send out letters to them, announcing my intention to run for mayor and my desire to meet with them and their members. The first hurdle will be the primary in May.”

  “Well, you’ll likely run unopposed in the primary once you announce. Everyone’s wanted a Hale to run for mayor since our family first put down roots here. The current mayor, Jim Kewars, is from the other party, and while he’s okay, he hasn’t been a vibrant leader. He’s part of the old school Dare Valley political machine. But no one would challenge him. We need new blood. New ideas. You!”

  Her enthusiasm was everything he could hope for. “Jill, seriously, I have lots to catch up on with Dare. I’ve been gone for a long time, and family visits don’t exactly count. Tell me the truth. Do you think I have a chance? Or should I take another year to settle in and become more established in the community?”

  “Like it’s in your nature to wait,” she scoffed. “When you told me you were moving home, I worried about you. You can’t go from driving eighty miles an hour on the interstate to thirty on a county road.”

  “Point taken. Okay, let me tell you what I’m thinking campaign-wise. I…ah…already have a platform in mind.”

  “Of course, you do, being Mr. Lawyer Superhero. Give it to me.”

  Her brow wrinkled as he talked, and she rose to grab a florescent green legal pad—dear God, when had they started making them in that color?—and a purple pen with sparkles. She didn’t interrupt once. A rare thing for his cousin. She just took notes.

  When he finished, she unloaded on him, throwing question after question at him for the next thirty minutes. Some he could answer. Others he flat out flubbed, causing her to cry out, “Aha and gotcha.” They brainstormed. Refined his ideas. He grabbed a clean legal pad from his gym bag and one of the hotel pens, scribbling down some of her ingenious suggestions.

  Top of the list. Accompanying Uncle Arthur to Bingo Night.

  “Why?” he asked stupidly.

  “Because it’s the hotbed of the old guard, one of the biggest grist mills in town, and because being seen there with Grandpa will help win people over. The Hale name is nice, but you need to shake hands with the old ladies and fist bump the old guys.”

  “Seriously, Jill? Fist bump them? These guys are veterans.”

  “Okay, maybe not fist bumps. You might break their arthritic wrists. But you know what I mean.”

  “I’m waiting for you to suggest kissing babies next.”

  “Oh, I can do better than that. You can come with me to my La Leche Group.”

  He gulped. “Isn’t that a breastfeeding group?”

  “We don’t only talk about our boobies. In fact, some of the girls are downright funny. You should hear the new names they’ve come up with for Don’t Soy with Me now that I’m pumping like a maniac for Mia and Violet. My favorite is—”

  “No. Please. God. Don’t tell me!” Okay, so his Inner Alpha drew the line at breastfeeding talk.

  She shoved off the couch and pointed to a machine that looked like...

  Oh no. She had her pumping…machine in full view. If only he could go blind at will.

  “You men think you’re so big and tough. If you had to stick your boob in that contraption four hours a day—”

  “Jill. Please. I beg you. Do you want to hear that women are superior? That you beat the male sex hands down?”

  Her shoulder lifted. “Yeah.”

  He had three sisters. He knew how to keep the peace. “Well, you do. I bow to your superiority.”

  “Good. Now, just one more thing. The reason you’ve come back to Dare… It’s not enough to talk about the evils of the big city.”

  “I wasn’t saying—”

  “It’s implied. You need to talk about your last case. How the system failed your client.”

  His chest grew tight. Talking to Jane about it the other night had been challenging enough, but telling the townspeople of Dare? “But I failed her, Jill. Why would I want to focus on that?”

  Her eyes softened. “First, you didn’t fail her. The system did. Second, because it humanizes you and makes people see your lion’s heart. It shows why you want to be a community leader. Why you want to make things better for people.”

  He’d never been
comfortable talking about himself and his motives. “I don’t know.”

  “Matt, growing up, I always admired you and Andy for your total save-the-world complexes. If you don’t share this, you’ll come off as nothing but a burned-out lawyer who’s returned home from the big city with his tail between his legs. It might be enough to win you the primary, but it’s not enough to beat Jim. Plus, it’s time to show people there’s more to you than the lawyer.”

  He knew she was right, but he’d always been private—something that was about to change big time now that he was running for mayor. Deep down, he’d pretty much thought his profession defined him. Now he was searching for a more meaningful existence, but the price would be his privacy. “Okay, what do you suggest?”

  “Let Tanner do an interview. Man to man. He’s not a Hale, and while he’s married to one, people know he has his own mind. They respect that. Plus, he has the same save-the-world complex you do, although it’s more balanced these days now that he’s married to Meredith.”

  “She got lucky with him. He’s a good guy.”

  “Yes, Tanner is the best. I’ve never had a brother, so I’m feeling pretty lucky these days. Even if he’s as big of a wimp about breastfeeding as you are.”

  “We men grovel at your feet, Jill.”

  She snorted. “So, I’ve also heard through the grapevine, aka your brother, that you and Jane Wilcox have been spending some time together. Do tell.”

  Shit, she was going to be as bad as his sisters. Andy was probably delighting in the prospect of him being ribbed and tortured by their family.

  “We’re just starting to get to know each other.” Although he still didn’t feel like he knew much.

  “I like her,” Jill said. “Anyone Mac and Rhett are over the moon about… Well. I hear she’s helping with Henry.”

  That was practically an understatement at this point. Jane was even more helpful now that she knew about Patricia. She had researched grieving dogs and refined their training sessions to target Henry’s problems. The dog seemed to be responding better, even if he was still rambunctious and totally disobedient with Matt. It was like he couldn’t forgive Matt for failing his former owner.

  “Since you brought Jane up, how much did you interact with her when she worked at the hotel?” he asked. Might as well see what other information he could uncover. Jane wasn’t saying much, using the dogs to slip through the conversation volleys he’d thrown at her since their first kiss.

  “Hardly any. She and Elizabeth worked exclusively for Mac on special projects. Hush, hush. Strange hours too. Sometimes they worked from home. I was pregnant when they got here and had baby brain, meaning I don’t remember many details about that time. Then I went on maternity leave. Mac has a lot going on around here all the time, so it didn’t seem too strange.”

  Interesting. But still as clear as mud. “Mac wasn’t upset with Rhett for stealing them away?”

  “Nah. They’re old pals. They’d never let business come between them. Rhett probably asked for Mac’s blessing before hiring them.” Then she narrowed her eyes. “Lots of questions, Mr. Lawyer. What’s up with that?”

  He held up his hands. “You brought her up. I was just making conversation.”

  “You were making something, all right.”

  “I’m going to hit the gym and let you get back to work. Thanks for helping me think things through, and for supporting my plan to run for mayor. And please don’t say anything to anyone. It’s early days yet.” Jill had been the biggest blabber mouth growing up, but he’d needed her advice badly enough to risk it.

  “So long as you promise you won’t make a lifelong career out of being mayor. I want the office in the courthouse to be all mine one day. Mwuh-ha-ha-ha.”

  He pulled her in for another hug. “You’re terrifying.”

  “Tell Brian that. I need to keep him on his toes a little more. Getting me all barefoot and pregnant so soon has made him lax.”

  An eye roll seemed appropriate. “He adores you, and before you hit me, I’m leaving. Bye, cuz.”

  “Bye, Matty Ice.”

  “Shit,” he said, closing the door. He’d hoped that nickname was going to die in Denver. Of course his sisters had told her. It was probably their idea of torture by proxy.

  Time in the gym helped him mentally focus. He mulled over Jill’s ideas as he lifted, laughing out loud as he thought about attending Bingo night with Uncle Arthur. Well, no one had said politics was easy.

  He was bench pressing about three hundred pounds when Rhett appeared by his side. “Need a spotter?”

  “Sure,” he replied even though he could lift this much safely without any assistance.

  They completed the weight circuit, the two of them trading off to spot each other. And then Rhett had to up the ante and started betting him twenty dollars who could lift more. Matt’s muscles were shaking by the time they finished, and he’d only lost twenty bucks. Considering that he was up against a professional gambler, he felt pretty good about that.

  “So, I hear you’ve been spending some time with my girl,” Rhett said casually in his signature Southern drawl as he wiped sweat off his face.

  The Dare grapevine seemed to be doing overtime. Probably Jill was to blame for this one. “Your girl?” he asked, since it seemed like a pretty sexist thing to call his employee.

  “Jane,” he said. “She’d probably kick me for calling her my girl, but she works for me, so it’s how I see it. I look after my own.”

  His protective stance was puzzling since Jane could only have worked for him for a few months tops. “Okay.”

  “Just telling you to be good to her, or you’ll answer to me.”

  Matt wasn’t short by any means, but at six feet six inches, Rhett towered over him—an abnormal situation for Matt. But he didn’t intimidate easily.

  “Since I plan to be good to her, I doubt we’ll have a problem.”

  The man studied him for a long moment and then slapped him on the back. It took effort not to jog a few steps forward from the force.

  “Good. Glad that’s clear. Y’all have a good day.”

  Rhett sauntered off, leaving him even more puzzled.

  Jane was utterly sweet and had a big heart, but Rhett certainly hadn’t known her long enough to be this defensive. She’d hooked him pretty fast too—they’d gone from barely acknowledging each other in the park to pretty much seeing each other every day—but that was different…

  Yes, there was something wrong here. Jill knew squat about Jane’s position at the hotel, which was odd, and now her boss had put him on notice about hurting her.

  It was time to do more digging.

  Chapter 11

  It was Saturday, the night of Jane’s big date night with Matt, and Elizabeth was helping dress her to the nines and do her makeup. Tonight Jane didn’t have to try to look cute in what she now called “park gear.” Brasserie Dare’s patrons went from casual to classy, and she planned on being in the latter category. Somehow she imagined Matt would do the same.

  “How do I look?” she asked Elizabeth.

  “For the hundredth time, you look beautiful.”

  Jane gazed at herself in the mirror. They’d chosen a Chanel aubergine dress that draped over her breasts, adding a little extra volume to that area. With the bias cut of the neckline, her creamy skin glowed against the fabric. The skirt was loose since she essentially had no hips, but she was wearing killer silver heels to give her a little height and accentuate her toned legs. Her feet protested even these piddly heels, only three inches high, after having been freed from Raven’s “stilts” over a month ago.

  “Are you sure about the heels?” she asked again. “What if I fall and break something? It’s winter.”

  “That’s what a man’s arm is for. This way you get to touch him under the pretense of needing support.”

  “Or he’ll think I’m an idiot for wearing them.”

  “I doubt it. He’ll be looking at your legs, which really look f
antastic, by the way. If I was a man, I’d totally do you.”

  “As you’ve said constantly since our first party together at Harvard,” Jane said with a laugh. “I really like this necklace, but you don’t think it’s too big?”

  Designed with Cleopatra in mind, the four large silver strands flowed over the aubergine material, creating a dramatic effect.

  Elizabeth’s caramel hair swayed as she shook her head. “It’s fine. And before you ask me one more time, no, we did not make your eyes too smoky for that dress. It’s perfect with the pale pink lipstick and liner. And just look at your lashes. I wish mine could be that thick and long without falsies.”

  The only thing that could possibly be deemed wanting about Elizabeth’s appearance was her eyelashes. They were thin and pale blond. Jane pitied her. Not.

  Checking her slender silver wristwatch, she realized it was close to seven. “Okay, let’s head to the living room. It’s almost time for Matt to arrive. But promise me you’re going to—”

  “Hide,” Elizabeth finished. “Of course. I’ll hang with the dogs for a bit and then take off. Looks like I’m going to be the one watching the movie alone tonight.”

  “You could have gone out with…with him again,” she said as they walked to the front of the house. She winced when she couldn’t remember the guy’s name.

  “Yes, but then I’d risk stabbing myself in the eye or stabbing him out of boredom, so it’s for the best. He’s way too nice for me.”

  “You always say that. You deserve a nice guy, Liz.”

  “The problem is that I’m just not attracted to them. And even nice guys aren’t always what they appear to be.”

  Jane’s mind leaped to the story Elizabeth had told her about the guy who’d cornered her near her car. It made Jane’s heart bleed to see her friend so scared. “I wish I could find you someone who’s nice and attractive.”

  “Honey, let’s concentrate on you right now,” she said as they walked into the living room. “From what you’ve said, Matt’s got it all. Winner, winner, chicken dinner.”